Olympic champ Kemboi for Egerton race

By JOSEPH NGURE

Ezekiel Kemboi

World 3,000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi will grace the inaugural Egerton University Cross-Country Championships to be held at Egerton University sports grounds on February 8, Vice Chancellor Professor James Tuitoek has said.

Kemboi is one of the experienced runners invited by the event’s organising committee to inspire young runners in the one-day competition that has been approved by Athletics Kenya.

Prof Tuitoek said the competition is meant to promote environmental conservation in the Mau Forest Complex and its surroundings.

“This is a programme for environmental conservation in the Mau Forests region and that is why we are engaging our young runners on the project,” he said while commissioning the event at Egerton University Sports Complex over the weekend.

It was also attended by the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof Rose Mwonya, local and national Athletics Kenya officials led by former Public Relations Officer Francis Nyatome, who is an employee of the federation.

The event is categorised into 12km for senior men, eight kilometres for senior women and a kilometre for runners aged over 55 years.

Over 1,000 experienced runners are expected at the one-day competition whose winner will take home Sh100,000 while the first 10 finishers in other respective races would also pocket cash prizes.

It will be used to select runners for the universities’ teams that will take part in the National Cross-Country Championships set for Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi on February 15.

A total of 31 public and private universities will grace the Egerton University competition, which has so far attracted a total spo0nsorship of Sh. 2million from different sponsors.

Speaking at the same function, Kenya Inter Universities Sports Association Chairman Paul Tuitoek said it would be run professionally to minimise complaints from all players.

“We want all teams to feel it was free and fair from any manipulations. This is why we have involved experienced officials of the athletic federation,” he said.